


Come so Far From Princess Park

by softsighniall



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, Realistic Harry Styles, Realistic Louis Tomlinson, non-au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:01:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23764270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softsighniall/pseuds/softsighniall
Summary: With One Direction's 2020 reunion coming soon, Louis and Harry are nervous to see each other again, seeing as they have some unresolved business.This is a non-AU fic about what could've gone down behind the scenes between Larry.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just writing this for fun, it's just a work of fiction. If you enjoy, check out my twitter: @softsighniall

**2020**

Harry blinks his eyes open, _another day in quarantine._ Twitter started blowing up at the beginning of April because of the rumors about the band’s reunion. Now Liam has basically blabbed and ruined the whole surprise, talking about sending emails and setting up a group FaceTime. Everyone else knowing makes Harry feel more nervous. Emailing was one thing, you send an email and then forget about it for a few hours before you get a response. Now they’ve created a groupchat on iMessage and he can practically hear Louis’s voice every time he reads his messages. He feels shy all over again, like the band had just been formed, and he forgets what their banter had been like. But they’re like brothers and four years apart can’t change that, Harry just has to get back in the swing of it. So much has changed in these four years… _Would they think he’s different?_ He sighs and gets up to get ready for another day of the same damn things when his phone buzzed.

**Niall: So, when are we FaceTiming tomorrow, lads?**

**Liam: I was thinking later at night probably x**

Harry picks up his phone and responds, just so that he feels like he isn’t ignoring them. Or does he just want to respond before Louis does so he can put the phone down and get as far away from it as possible?

**Harry: After dinner works well for me. Maybe, 8:30? H**

But he doesn’t put his phone down fast enough before it buzzes in his hands again.

**Lou: Could we do 9? El likes to have dinner kinda late!**

**Harry: Yup.**

He puts the phone down and just zones off, lost in his thought. _Why did he have to mention her? Feelings should have simmered down by now, right?_ Harry never thought he was the jealous type. But knowing that Louis was back with the girl that had made Harry feel so inferior for years… well, he thought he had been over it. No matter how much time has passed and how much confidence he’s gained, at the end of the day, he always feels like the boy chasing after Louis for years. Always hidden, never enough to break rules for…

**2011**

In the beginning, Harry thought he was just being best friends with Louis but best friends didn’t touch each other this often. Best friends didn’t look at each other like that. It was impossible to tell with Louis. He was the friendliest man he’d ever met, but still, something felt different between them. Harry was too shy to ever make a move, of course. But maybe if he held Louis’s gaze just long enough, and smiled at him just the right way, he’d understand.

This was a thought that replayed in Harry’s head every day for months. It wasn’t until one night in October where Niall had managed to get his hands on some alcohol that Harry thought maybe it wasn’t all just in his head. They were all sat around the living room in Princess Park, drinking, laughing together about how crazy it had been being in this band together.

“Aight, Haz, Lou… I’m gonna have to get this lad here to bed.” Liam was hanging onto a very drunk blonde boy by an arm, visibly struggling. Zayn got up and grabbed Niall’s other arm, mumbling an “I’ve got you, mate.”

“Will you be comin’ back to continue this nice chat, afterward?” Louis asked chipperly, his tongue feeling a little heavy. 

“Probably not, I wanna try and work out tomorrow morning still. Seeing as Nialler here drank most of the liquor he brought,” Liam let out a chuckle. “So goodnight, you two.”

“Yeah, I’ll probably just get ready for bed too,” Zayn gruntled as they were already moving towards Niall’s room.

Harry blushed a little at his comment. _You two…_ With a small smile on his face, he turned his gaze towards the three.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Yup, cheers! Goodnight,” Louis turned his attention back to Harry. “I guess it’s just us which quite works out with me having hidden the last two beers before Nialler could down them himself.”

Harry took the drink and made it a point to drink it as fast as possible. He wanted to be a little drunker, but God did he hate the taste of beer.

“Whoa, wait for me!” Louis did the same and connected the bottle with his lips. 

**…**

Half an hour passed and he'd moved from the sofa across from Harry to the one that he had been on all night. Louis was playing some music on his phone softly. When Harry got nervous, he would try to focus on what was playing, trying to distract himself from Louis sitting so close to him. They were both facing each other, Louis humming along to the music.

“I know this might sound weird… because we’re in a band together and all… but have I told you how much I like your voice?” Harry asked, letting his thoughts filter through to the world.

Louis had a little, amused smirk when he responded. “No, I don’t think you have, Haz.”

His smile and the way they met his eyes were the only reason Harry felt confident enough to continue speaking his mind to the boy he’d been crushing on for over a year now. “Well I really do, I like how raspy it is. I don’t think I’ve heard anything quite like it… is that alright to say?”

“You can tell me anything really, Haz. There don’t have to be secrets between us. For example, I wish I could have curly hair like yours.” Louis reached out to touch his curls, his smile telling Harry he was just being nice but his eyes leading him to a different answer. Misleading him perhaps.

“I… like your laugh. You laugh mostly with your eyes and then when something is really funny you um…” Harry’s voice trailed off, thinking maybe he shouldn’t have been saying this. Even with the alcohol he drank, he knew he probably shouldn’t have been saying it. But he wanted to and that barrier he usually had up had dissolved with every sip of beer he took.

“I what?” Louis scooched forward to be closer to Harry, the knee that he had up on the couch now touching Harry’s outer thigh.

“You tend to cover your mouth was all I was gonna say…”

“You know you shut your eyes when something is really funny? And kind of scrunch your nose…” Louis was even closer now. Harry could smell his breath, a mixture of beer and what he’d guessed was Louis’s smell. This was definitely not a normal moment between best friends. Harry was starting to understand that, even though he’d love to hear it come from Louis’s lips. “That’s how I tell if I told a proper good joke or not.” He looked down at Harry’s lips and his stomach is flooded with nervousness and his heart started racing and he was a little scared but excited at the same time. All he can do is stare expectantly at Louis, waiting for him to close what space was left between them. And then he did. And he was kissing Louis. And the nervous butterflies transformed into an excited buzz. Harry moved his hand to Louis’s soft face and that was the sign Louis needed. He moved even closer to Harry, one of his legs was on top of Harry’s knee at that point. Louis’s hand slowly moved from holding the nape of Harry’s neck up to his curly hair that Louis found any excuse to touch. Harry breathed him in, Louis’s tongue brushing up against his lip. And he let him in, just like he’d been wanting for so long. Him and Louis.

When they split apart, they’re both quiet, in their thoughts. Until Louis pecked Harry’s lips again with a smile on his face. They both just seemed... surprised. Like they had been thinking about it for so long but never thought it was possible. All of their dreams suddenly felt tangible and Louis finally knew what Harry’s skin felt like.

**…**

The next morning, Louis and Harry woke up in separate beds. They both hadn’t drunk enough to forget what happened the night before but neither of them mentioned it the next time they saw each other. They didn’t really get much alone time and, despite the little gleam in both their eyes, it was as if nothing had happened. But Harry wasn’t worried, they had all the time in the world to figure out what they wanted to become. Things were going great with the band and this was the most fun he’d had in his life.

Harry was sitting alone in the kitchen when his thoughts were interrupted.

“Hey, Haz.” It was Louis. This was the first time they were alone since they kissed five days ago. Harry felt his back straighten and he knew his smile widened significantly but Louis’s smile didn’t quite light up like it usually did. Silence hung in the air, Louis had something to say and it wasn’t going to be anything Harry wanted to hear. “I got a girlfriend today… Eleanor. We’d been talking for about a month before… well, you know…” Louis was looking at the floor while Harry’s eyes were wide with confusion and hurt. His throat blocked up and he was trying everything he could to not cry. 

Harry cleared his throat, “Um… congrats. I’m not sure what you’re tellin’ me this for?” Now it was Harry’s turn to avoid eye contact, not wanting Louis to see the tears he was struggling to keep in. 

“I just thought since…”

“It’s okay, Lou. It was an innocent kiss, we were- we had been drinking. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks, mate. I think we’ve got a shot, El and I. Anyway, friends?”

“Yeah, friends.”

While Louis brought him in for a hug, Harry made sure to wipe his face clear of any tears that may betray him. And despite the fact that Harry wanted to have his own shot with Louis. It wasn’t up to him and what kind of love would it be if he didn’t want Louis to have his own shot with someone else? It would be easier after all. Easier than trying to hide every smile he’d aim towards Louis, every look that was meant just for him, everything that every fan would be right in overanalyzing.

**2020**

Harry’s in the middle of making breakfast when he hears a familiar chime come from his phone. He’s been thinking about Louis all morning, it didn’t cross his mind that maybe Louis was thinking about him too. _No, he couldn’t be, he’s with Eleanor._ But when he finally looks at his phone the little butterflies in his stomach jump back to life. A feeling that always happened when it came to Lou. A feeling that hasn’t manifested in years now. Harry read the message.

**Lou: Hey, H! It’s been a while… how’ve you been?**

  
  



	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy, I'm working on making the chapters a little longer. Check out my twitter if you'd like! @softsighniall

_We’re friends. We’re supposed to be friends now._ Harry has to remind himself because it never really felt like Louis fully understood how hard that was for him. Obviously right now he doesn’t, he just thinks everything is normal. Harry just wishes he could get inside Louis’s brain, could see if he was nervous too, see if it wasn’t just him.

**…**

It wasn’t. Louis right now is sitting on the edge of his sofa with his elbows on his knees and all his attention on the Android in his hands. He knows Harry hates seeing the green bubbles, so he messages him on WhatsApp. Louis is nervous and hyperaware of where Eleanor is in the apartment right now. She doesn’t know that after they broke up, Louis started dating Harry. How would she know, nobody knew, everybody worked so hard to keep it a secret.

**Haz: Hey, Lou. I’ve been good. As good as anyone can be in quarantine you know?**

The phone didn’t have a chance to ring before Louis was reading his text. He let out a sigh of relief, at least he wasn’t being ignored. He wants to think of the right thing to say to make Harry laugh or maybe just smile. But Louis realizes that he doesn’t really know what those things are anymore. 

**Louis: Well, in Niallers case he’s thrivin!! I think he’s managed to play three instruments at once all while singing and being on instragram live lol xx**

Louis sends the text, realizing a little too late about the instinctive little Xs he wrote at the end. That’s how they used to text, that’s how he used to try hinting at Harry that he had feelings for him too. 

**2015**

Louis had broken up with Eleanor a few months prior, he knew why he had done it but it took him a while to process that it was because of Harry. He hadn’t told anyone, he felt like a bad person even admitting that he had liked someone else when they had dated for four years. Even worse when he thought about the fact that those feelings for Harry had been lingering there the whole time. The boys were getting ready for a show tonight, just goofing off and trying to get their energy up. The area under the stadium was filled with people and hallways full of their crew. Everything about this tour was big, so far away from Princess Park where he had been so quick to dismiss their kiss. Niall and Liam were goofing around across from him, everyone was still getting used to Zayn not being here. Louis wanted to keep himself occupied from that thought, Zayn had always been the quiet one but now it felt like the balance between them was just off. Louis would usually be talking to him when he was in moods like this one. Thinking about Harry wasn’t usually productive when Louis was around him so he’d hang with Zayn. Louis walked around trying to clear his head or at least sort out his confusion when he saw a golf cart not being used. This place was so huge that the crew would use them to get around.

He wanted to have a bit of fun with it, I mean, it was just there. He could go get Niall and Liam but… they weren’t really who he wanted to see right now. So Louis took out his phone and texted the only person who could possibly make him laugh right now.

**Louis: i got me hands on a golf cart!! you wanna go for a ride?? ;)) xx**

**Haz: where and when? H**

**Louis: just past the dressing room xx**

Then Louis sat for a few moments before Harry came into view with all his long-haired glory and Louis’s hands immediately started to get clammy. He was walking over with his little lopsided grin and an excited little jump in his step.

“Come on, Haz! Let’s go go go!” Louis urged Harry, turning the key that was already in the ignition. Harry jumped in, the side of his body crashing into Louis’s causing his smile to grow wider. And then Louis sped off and drove haphazardly in circles until people started to show up. That was when he drove off into the halls that were completely unknown to him. They just kept going, Louis turning down random halls and Harry gripping on for his life, both of their mouths wide with laughter and adrenaline. They were high off of each others’ presence and the sheer amount of fun they were always able to conjure up. With hearts pumping, Louis turned into a hallway with a dead end. They weren’t being followed, he was pretty sure no one cared enough to try and follow them but it sure was fun pretending. 

It was the first time Louis was alone and this close to Harry since knowing exactly what he wanted. He was nervous to look over, nervous to create the exact moment that he had been hoping for for months now. Louis had waited a month to properly get over Eleanor and the guilt he felt ending their relationship. But he had waited those other four months to make sure Harry wouldn’t feel like a rebound. Like a second choice. He wanted Harry to know he loved him for being Harry instead of for being not-Eleanor. When he finally looked over at Harry, they both laughed together at what they’d just done. It was natural. It was them. 

“Oi, my hands are so clammy.” Louis was rubbing them on his jeans now.

“Really? Mines are quite cold, they get cold when I’m nervous I think,” Harry said flipping them over to give them a good look.

“Well give ‘em here.” Louis took them without hesitation and stuck them under his armpits. Harry pulled them out as soon as they touched his arms, a glimmer of amusement behind the look of disgust on his face. As soon as he was free, he let out a laugh that could have reincarnated God himself. He wouldn’t be surprised if Harry was God, honestly.

Harry must have seen the look in Louis’ eyes change because, just like that, there was a silence in the air. Louis was hoping that they would flow into the conversation that he wanted to have a little more smoothly. His hands were sweating even more now and his cheeks were all too obviously heating up.

“You said those hands of yours were cold?” He took Harry’s hands and pressed them to his cheeks. They were cold but Louis only went redder as he looked into Harry’s eyes. 

“Um, maybe we should get back, Lou.”

Moments like these were a dime a dozen. Looks like these that held a little more than either of them were trying to show. Louis didn’t want to keep on ignoring them but he wasn’t quite sure that they meant the same to Harry.

“I know this might sound weird…” Those were the same words Harry had started with all those years ago. “But can I kiss you? Please?” It was harder, it was so much harder for Louis to just say exactly what he meant. There was no perfect glint in his eyes that told him that Harry really wanted him like in the stories. But he was tired of not knowing and waiting for the perfect moment. The perfect moment would happen no matter what if Harry said yes. And he said yes. He nodded his head yes at least. Because Harry couldn’t quite speak.

Their lips moved together smoothly, like a reflex. With more confidence, Louis put his arm around Harry’s shoulder and pulled him in closer. Harry’s cold hand cupped the back of Louis’s fire hot neck. They were both wide awake but nothing like this had ever happened outside of their dreams before. This wasn’t like their kiss four years ago, their yearning had sat and aged like a smooth whiskey. And just like its flavor grew richer and richer, so did their longing. Their tongues collided clumsily, they just wanted to taste as much of each other as they could in this moment. Louis ran his hand to Harry’s neck, peaking his fingers through the collar of his t-shirt and then into his hair. His nose filled with the scent of Harry’s breath, this time untainted by any alcohol. This was the most honest they’d been with themselves and each other in the five years they’d known each other. Finally, their secret was out. That they had been perfectly sculpted to fit together like this. Louis’s smaller hand to Harry’s giant one. The crinkles by Louis’s eyes when he smiled to the dimples that dotted Harry’s cheeks when he smiled back. They shared this moment just between them. That was enough for Louis, to be honest with himself and to be honest with Harry. And Harry thought that would be enough for him too. But it just wasn’t, despite it being so so close to being enough. He’d only manage to convince himself it was for a little while until Louis would have to reassure him again.

This time Louis didn’t want to wait a week before talking to Harry about it. As soon as they pulled apart, Louis said, “I want to be able to do that every day. I mean it. I messed up before and it’s kept me awake so many nights, just wondering. I don’t want to have to wonder anymore.”

“Me neither. Really, Lou. It’s been five years of it, I thought I would end up wondering for an eternity more.” Harry was both upset that it took this long for Louis to figure out it was him he wanted. But his excitement at finally getting his own shot with Louis could overcome any of that, Harry knew.

Louis nodded, “I’m sorry, love. But I’ll make it up to you. I’ll spend forever making it up to you. I promise.”

**2020**

Louis shouldn’t be trying to let Harry know that he has feelings for him now though, he has Eleanor. But maybe he’s just comfortable here? Louis never was one for the media, they always liked to paint him in a bad light and take jokes way out of proportion. He never wanted that same scrutiny to be put on him and Harry. Louis doesn’t mind being the one that the media hates but Harry has always been the cheeky one. He’s never done a bad thing in his life, he’s too good for this earth. _Maybe a little too good for me._ Louis knows what Harry had wanted from him. He just wasn’t ready to give him that. That was the thing Louis never knew how to compromise on. He always knew he would screw it up but what was holding him back was much more complex than he had known how to deal with. Harry’s an icon, it’s easy for people to look up to him no matter what he does, who he is. It’s different for Louis, people love to hate him. Hate his voice, hate his looks, he doesn’t know why. But it’s the truth. And just before he could get any deeper in his thoughts, Louis’s phone buzzes. It’s the first time he’s been this excited in quarantine.

**Haz: Yeah, that man’s a machine, haha! H**

That was enough for Louis, it wasn’t the most conversational response. But Harry wasn’t shutting him down completely. So Louis took a risk. Because it only just hit him how fucking much he misses Harry. Shit, he misses him so much. And maybe that’s what’s been making life feel just a little bland nowadays. Nothing’s wrong. But nothing has ever felt quite perfect as it did with Harry and maybe he’s just been ignoring that. Maybe Louis is just so good at ignoring what’s obvious to others that he can pretend things weren’t as amazing as when they were together. He can pretend that everything didn’t go wrong in New York. Pretend that life hasn’t been exciting since.

**Louis: I listened to Fine Line. It’s fuckin brilliant H. It made me cry xx**

Louis’s being honest. Falling made him cry as soon as it started. He sounded like he was hurting and worst of all the songs weren’t about Louis. Harry might have found someone more important than Louis ever was to him, ever will be. And watching from afar made him feel insignificant. Alone.

**…**

Harry didn’t respond yesterday and today is the day that they’re all going to group facetime. But Louis’s not sure whether or not he can face Harry today. So he tells the lads that he’s not feeling well and that Eleanor’s cooking made him feel a little sick. Just a little white lie to save him from his own awkwardness.

They all FaceTime without Louis and Louis promises that he’ll get on next time, not thinking that he actually means it. But then Louis keeps coming back to the fact that he missed an opportunity. He should have gotten on that call even if he did feel a little awkward. But he can’t just ask them to FaceTime again today, it would be weird. So Louis takes his phone and sets an alarm for four days from now to ask the groupchat to Facetime again. Because he’s just that nervous about Harry.

**…**

After the four days pass, Louis asks the band and they agree to video call on WhatsApp the next day. Which is today. So Louis showered and dressed up and he’s sitting on the couch waiting for the clock to hit 9. And when it does, he’s the first to call.

“Hey lads!” Louis exclaims as soon as Niall and Liam come on. Harry is the last to join the call but soon they’re all together and talking just like they used to. Niall’s going on about his robot hoover and Liam is talking about Fortnite, and Harry’s just listening and giggling along. It’s not until Louis is doing the talking when Harry lets out a full laugh. That was the push Louis needed to keep going. And next, he’s going back and forth with Liam, being sassy, eyes always flicking back to Harry on his screen. Harry always liked it when he was sassy. Before they all know it, 11:30 pm hits and Niall and Liam talk about needing to get ready for bed. Then it’s just Harry and Louis.

“Hey, sorry I didn’t respond to your text. I had written up a text and I thought I sent it but I guess I hadn’t”

Louis lets out a little sigh of relief, “It’s no problem. How are you, Haz, really? What have you been doing to fill up your quarantine time?”

“I’ve just been writing, watching the telly, trying to work out. I’ve been with Gemma and some nights we’ll play board games,” He starts to form a little smile when he’s saying this. Louis finds their relationship so wholesome. He’s lucky to have someone to always tell him how things are honestly.

11:30 becomes 12:30 and Harry starts saying that he should probably go to bed now and Louis agrees. But just as soon as both of them get off the phone, they’re texting each other and everything feels like normal again. Louis mentions Harry’s fart and Harry calls him a smoker and they’re happy. They continue on like this for the rest of April, sending each other memes and things the fans were saying about each of them on Twitter. It takes a lot of control for them to not like or respond to anything, but Twitter is always more fun when the fans don’t think they’re online. It’s almost a month since they started talking when they feel comfortable enough to talk about the past. Louis is lying face-up on his couch when they start talking about more serious things. Missing touring with their best friends, Louis missing his mom, the paparazzi posting pictures of Harry in L.A. when he’s in London. Then he gets a text he really didn’t expect to receive.

**Haz: If I’m being honest, Lou I’m surprised to see you with Eleanor… H**

**Lou: She helped me a lot when my mom passed away, you know? I thought I should try and figure things out between us again. I don’t think I ever really gave her an honest shot before.**

_Because no one had a shot compared to you,_ Louis wanted to say. _No one will ever have a shot compared to you._

**Haz: Oh…**

**Haz: Are you really thinking about marriage?**

Shit. He read the interview. 

**Lou: I don’t know… It was kind of spur of the moment. Maybe I was just telling them something to distract them from all the bad things they say about me.**

… A few minutes pass without a response from Harry. Louis knows he shouldn’t double text. He also knows he probably shouldn’t say what he says next. But he does. He loves talking to Harry and the conversation ending means that he has to go to bed in his Harry-less reality.

**Lou: You know you’re the reason I broke up with her before right? Haha, it’s crazy how things change.**

Yup. The “haha” really makes it sound less serious. Right?

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Sorry it's so short, it's just a little intro I guess. I'm only just dipping my toes into the water with writing...


End file.
